Chapter 58
As the destined Godslaying dragon, she was hated and ostracized. Sealed here from a distant era, she devoured its Wrath, its lament, and its hatred, throwing herself into a vortex of resentment. She should have ultimately become the calamity dragon that devoured all of humanity, once protected by the gods, in this era.
But all of this was undone by that man's words, though it's unclear whether this was a good thing or a bad thing for Typhon Primordial Dragon.
The red-haired girl stretched out casually at the bottom of the gradually calming lava lake, gazing up at the ever-rolling lava.
She had long forgotten the way she was taught to pray to Chaos or whatever when she was born, but she still couldn't forget the sight of the humans weeping and wailing on the ground when she drove away the gods who betrayed Chaos.
"Those humans will die sooner or later, so why should we like the dead?"
At that time, I didn't care about such ridicule at all. After all, humans don't have many years left to live, so giving up the struggle is...
In fact, it's not that difficult for Pureblood Dragon born from Machine God. The so-called Age of Gods did not exist because of humans. In the age of gods, the world and powerful Phantasmal Species would never give special favor to such insignificant beings as humans.
Looking back now, I realize I wasn't even aware of that cold-blooded attitude.
Countless words spoken to the girl in the past flashed through her mind; she couldn't remember who said them—some were spoken face-to-face, some through the gods, some deliberately said so she could hear, some mixed in with words of Faith, words she had heard again and again.
Monster.
The girl thought to herself, "That's certainly true."
Because she had no goal at all; she was simply there to kill the gods, and for that, she would trample everything in her way.
In reality, there was nothing I wanted to do, nowhere I wanted to go, and I didn't even know what I wanted to become. Although I was truly free, after losing hatred, I felt an emptiness all over my body that I couldn't even vaguely imagine.
Moreover, she knew that the world had become a human world, the gods had departed, and although she was free, she had nowhere to go and could only stay in this sealed volcano.
Typhon Ephimilous is Monster who tramples on life; the past cannot be changed, and the present cannot be changed either.
"... Oh, right, I almost forgot, I actually have something else to do."
Just then, the girl suddenly remembered the human's nonchalant expression and realized she had almost forgotten to eat him. So she immediately got up and quickly walked towards the outside of the volcano.
As Twilight faded, the clear blue of the Twilight was replaced by a dark, cool-toned blue sky, its surface stretching as far as the eye could see, reflecting the celestial bodies—a boundless expanse of azure from the heavens onto the earth.
This was the world Typhon had seen again after thousands of years, a world both peaceful and full of beautiful scenery.
This natural beauty caught the girl's eye.
"... that... human..."
The girl involuntarily let out a soft call.
The red-haired girl seemed unsure of what to say, but still wanted to convey something and spoke, her tone sounding clumsy.
"... It's... you..."
She didn't use any particularly cunning tricks, at least that's what she thought.
I forgot to eat you.
115: A Chaotic Era
A fine drizzle, almost imperceptible, drifted silently down from the gray sky. Tiny silver droplets of water had somehow covered the silver-haired youth, making him appear as if he were covered in frost.
Somewhere on the Rhine, Avia quietly looked down at the flowing Rhine.
He had been away from Mount Etna for a month, and the Bagaudae Revolt rebellion, which had stirred up a great uproar in the Western Rome, showed no signs of defeat against the most elite Roman Praetorian Guard; on the contrary, it had reached a stalemate...
This was somewhat unexpected for him. It could only be said that the Magecraft, Dead Apostle, and Germans had done a great deal of work behind the scenes, but according to the Church's usual practice, such indifference was rather unsettling.
'This must be the Rhine. I can sense the Dragon Factor essence I left here!'
As Avia gazed down silently, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind, the voice belonging to Typhon Ephimilous, the Greece Primordial Dragon.
Since that day, the red-haired girl has followed the silver-haired youth on her own. Whenever he asks why, she replies, "I haven't eaten you yet," and she keeps replying with the same words. Over time, that's how it's been.
Typhon seemed unaccustomed to being in human form, walking like a toddler who had just learned to walk. But she naturally wouldn't say such an embarrassing thing. So Avia found an opportunity to mention that she lacked defensive equipment and might encounter an accident someday.
Then, the red-haired girl, beaming with pride, transformed into a mecha Dragon Kind, then into a suit of armor, and mercifully allowed Avia to wear it.
Ashen Scorching Armor – this is the name Typhon himself gave it. Its essence is an armor that reverses the concept of Mount Etna, reverses the seal, and limits the dragon's power to Humanoid as a normal device for controlling power. In other words, to break this shell, one needs to have the power to destroy Mount Etna.
The armor's surface is often covered with lava-like crimson stripes. The part of the armor that exposes the face, from a modern perspective, is less like Kamen Rider and more like a hybrid of Ryuki from Final Fantasy and Black Knight, or perhaps the third stage of the clone Warrior, Knight of Flame.
However, due to Typhon's intentions, it doesn't usually show up, but the effect is always there.
"Yes, it was here a few years ago that Siegfried and I killed Fafnir and obtained the Rhine Gold."
Avia pointed to the Rhine below and said.
'That gold attached to your soul... it doesn't seem to belong to this world, it's more like something from another Planet...'
"Who knows? These things aren't that important."
'Oh, right, it's not that important. I just mentioned it casually...'
Perhaps his initial words hadn't had much effect, so Typhon sent another Telepathy into the young man's mind, urging him to say more.
"Speaking of which, I sensed a mixed aura of dragon and bull race within my fragment, right there in Gaul, as you mentioned."
"... I see."
Avia paused for a few seconds before calmly replying.
Typhon's casual remark revealed to him why the 'Bagaudae Revolt' had been able to maintain a stalemate with the Western Rome.
One of the three Divine Era Magus who conspired with Ptolemy in the past, Kiz, the Divine Era Magus from the Lostbelt Sea who wields the 'Preservation Gate' and the coffin, has made his move.
The three major Mage's Association, the seven world-destroying weapons of the Atlas Institute, the remains of Albion that the Clock Tower should rightfully possess, and the Hidden Divine Principle of the Lostbelt Sea —these three are comparable.
The Lostbelt Sea possesses five Hidden Divine Principle, each overseen by Magecraft with one of the five Great Gate. Among them, Kiz's "Preservation Gate" has the ability to keep the living god, Zagreus, the former form of the Greece god of wine and the prince of the Prince of the Underworld, as a contract object in the present world.
For some unknown reason, the current Kiz has allowed Zagreus swallowed the Typhon fragment, to assist the 'Bagaudae Revolt' in Gaul. And that mixed dragon-bull aura, if nothing unexpected happens, is probably the Divine Body of Kunitsukami from Japan, the Okuninushi. It should be brought by the Magecraft of the Mountain Court who conspired with him... Speaking of which, this Magecraft of the Mountain Court seems to also have a fragment of Sun Wukong.
In the world of Type-Moon, the so-called struggle between the Dragon Kind and the Ox race has continued throughout the Age of Gods.
In Babylonia, the King of Heroes Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu did their utmost to kill the Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna, thus establishing their royal power.
In Greece, the chief god Zeus himself possessed the attributes of a bull and had anecdotes of transforming into one. The Dragon Kind he fought against was Typhon, the Primordial Dragon the dragons.
In Egypt, there's an unexpected connection between the Greek God and Egypt gods, stemming from the legend that the Gods of Greece, fearing Typhon, fled to Egypt...
Benedict and Typhon were of the same ilk, but he became the god who banished serpents. During the voyage of the Sun God Ra, he was also the Water God Protection the chief god from the Great Serpent Apep. Later, he killed his brother Osiris and fought with Osiris's son Horus for the throne, ultimately losing to the War God of war, Set.
On the mainland, battles also took place between Chiyou, the bull-type, and Yinglong, the Dragon Kind.
In Japan, subtle changes occurred. The most famous giant Great Serpent in Japan Yamata no Orochi, is sometimes regarded as the same being as Okuninushi, who is considered Kuchinawa. Kunitsukami, is also considered the god of Ōkuninushi and shares the same origin as Chiyou, the bull-breeding god.
In short, the Kunitsukami leader, Ōkuninushi, who was defeated by Amaterasu, the Amatsukami, is an extremely rare hybrid god of dragon and bull races in the world.
Avia had to admit that the current situation was quite chaotic. The Huns he led weren't even unified yet, and these Divine Era Magus were already causing trouble and things weren't going according to plan...
After all, the Osiris Divine Body in the sea, one of their plans, was destroyed by him in the First Century AD, so it's normal for them to start planning again after all these centuries.
If the Dead Apostle behind the 'Bagaudae Revolt' are actually acting on the orders of the current overt leader of the Dead Apostle, White-Winged Duke, then things will be even more chaotic. In that case, the Fourteenth Ancestor Financial Demon King Van Fem, might very well abandon his hostility towards White-Winged Duke and cooperate with him in order to ensure the continuation of the Dead Apostle' legacy...
This Financial Demon King and the Grand Sorcerer are friends, and they are also friends of Messala Escardos in Monaco. Messala is the ancestor of the Lord El-Melloi II disciple, Flat, and the Magecraft who created the New Humanity, Theia.
'Human, what's wrong? Why haven't you said anything for so long?'
"Ah, it's nothing, I was just a little surprised--"
As the two were talking, the sky continued to drizzle like mist. The silver-haired youth gazed at the mountain before him. On the other side of the trembling drizzle, the dark world stretched endlessly, and not a single person could be seen from there.
But just then, a familiar voice came from the rain-soaked Forest.
"Is that Avia? Long time no see."
"... Yes, it's been a long time, Siegfried."
116: North Sea Kraken
"Originally, I planned to go to Gaul to help the Western Rome and the Holy Church quell the 'Bagaudae Revolt'."
Siegfried was talking to Avia, whom he hadn't seen for years. The young man simply listened quietly, without frowning or showing any surprise.
Years have passed, seasons have changed, and the sun and moon have turned, but the feelings he had for Avia at the time of parting remain. He is still worried that the young Huns who is holding the Rhine Gold might fall into misfortune.
However, over the past few years, the silver-haired man, as the 'great hero who slays the dragon,' has gradually accumulated more achievements.
No one knows when, but he had become a well-known figure in the area. Although he had always explained that he was not the only one who slew the dragon, nor was he the one who contributed the most, a man's fame was unstoppable and invincible.
In the blink of an eye, it has soared to the level of people's admiration.
"You must be Siegfried, the one who killed Fafnir. You truly are a great hero."
"No, no, it wasn't just me who killed Fafnir, but also my friend, whose name was Avia."
"Hmm? Who is this person?"
"The Huns."
Siegfried did not believe that people were divided into high and low classes, but only that their actions were either 'just' or 'evil'.
"... Haha, you're really joking! Those are just barbarians. But with your Protection, we'll definitely be safe here."
"That's right, that's right, you are the true hero of justice."
Over the years, Siegfried has visited the Rhine more than once, and has seen its scenery at various times, whether it was morning, noon, evening, or even all day.
As dusk falls on the Rhine, a crimson orange sun slowly descends, casting an Orange hue over the water and sky, gradually fading into the darkness of night. Birds call as they fly overhead, while the surrounding Forest, decaying and stripped of their vibrant colors, stand as a testament to this.
There are countless people in the world, each with their own thoughts and lives, and these people rise and fall like the tides every morning and evening.
Copernicus felt as if he were floating in some kind of enormous vortex.
Siegfried, who had always lived in a world full of 'affirmation', learned about 'negation' for the first time.
"Moreover, I am Huns born with an evil will; even if I slay a dragon, my true nature will not change in the eyes of the world."
Recalling their parting words, Siegfried finally understood that Avia had already foreseen this outcome.
Perhaps others see the explanation that the dragon-slaying hero insists on as foolish, but the man chooses to follow his own heart, believing that 'people must know.'
"I was able to kill Fafnir only because of Avia, and I will never forget that."
The silver-haired man said this, and he always felt that the two of them, who had spent half a month together to slay the dragon, were like partners.
So although we're not friends, we're closer than friends.
Now, seeing Avia again, Siegfried felt that apart from her slightly more mature appearance, she was not much different from a few years ago.
"Originally? So, Siegfried, where are you going now?"
After listening quietly for a long time, Avia stretched lazily, calmed the somewhat impatient Typhon, and then asked Siegfried with a smile.
In Avia's view, Siegfried is no longer cursed by the Rhine Gold, so he shouldn't suffer the same tragedy. If we follow the story of "The Song of the Nibelungen," he should be in the process of helping someone marry the Queen of Iceland.
However, according to Avia's understanding over the years, there is no queen in Iceland now, because it is Geatland's territory.
In the northwestern corner of Europe, on the Scandinavian Peninsula —the largest peninsula in Europe and the fifth largest in the world—there now exists a unified nation Geatland Kitland, and its king is named Beowulf.
Speaking of which, Beowulf, along with the France Song of Roland and the Germany the Song of the Nibelungen, is considered one of the three great heroic epics of Europe literature. Both Beowulf and Siegfried are known for slaying dragons, and Avia can also be considered a dragon-slaying hero in this context.
In response to Avia's question, Siegfried did not hesitate for long and quickly replied:
"The giant ancient species that still lives in the North Sea, the North Sea Kraken, I'm going to kill it."
Somewhere in the North Sea, the sky was covered with dark clouds, as if shrouded by a huge black cloth, obscuring the sun.
The rain poured down, the dense raindrops hitting the sea surface and splashing up sprays of water.
The man sitting on some kind of marine animal on the sea turned his head, but all he could see was the raging storm; nothing else existed.
"Merem Solomon, so you're the one Van Fem sent?"
"Haha, that's a really harsh thing to say. I'm just an employee, you know?"
The laughter seemed out of place amidst the scene before them, and the person called Merem Solomon did not appear.
"By the way, Foaublo, I'm here to help you no matter what, so let's get along well. A lot of Dead Apostle wanted to come, but I insisted on coming."
"Sigh, after all, they couldn't protect you. If things went wrong, we might all die together. That's why Van Fem said to leave it to me. As soon as he said that, I rushed over."
"This is the first time I've heard of you having any concept of camaraderie... Just wanted to confirm, what happened to the Dead Apostle who were supposed to come with me?"